Make Laundry More Bearable

Many owners dread doing their laundry in the shared laundry room, but community association managers have several alternatives to help ease the drudgery. This week, we share some steps worth considering.

First, technology can go a long way toward improving the laundry experience. Laundry services providers increasingly offer proprietary apps to their customers. For example, both Automatic Leasing and CSC ServiceWorks have apps that allow residents to start the washer and dryer remotely and pay for their laundry with their smartphones. And managers can track revenues at any time online.

Maria Carreras, Virginia-based Automatic Leasing’s chief of operations, says its custom app SudKick also has opened up a new method of communication with users: “It’s a great tool for promoting specials and educating consumers with laundry tips and best practices.” The addition of technology to laundry services can increase revenue, convenience, and resident satisfaction.

CSC ServiceWorks has developed a laundry monitoring system called LaundryView. “It lets residents view the laundry room from their homes, so they can see which machines are open or being used,” says Justin Schumer, area sales manager for the national provider of laundry solutions. “Reminders are sent to the resident when their loads are done, so they don’t have to wait in the laundry room.”

Associations that aren’t quite ready to adopt laundry apps should at least consider giving owners the option of paying with reloadable smart cards that operate like pre-paid debit cards. With fewer people using cash these days, it’s become more of a hassle for owners to have enough quarters on hand.

To learn 4 more ways you can improve the laundry experience for your owners, read our new article:

5 Ways to Freshen Up the Laundry Room Experience

Best regards,
Matt Humphrey
President